The Mega Racing Porsche duo of Liam Talbot and John Martin will start this afternoon’s Top 10 Shootout as the last runner after recording the best combined time in today’s two qualifying sessions for the Laser Plumbing & Electrical Hampton Downs 500.
The pairing excelled in tricky conditions to claim top spot in their respective qualifying sessions, having earlier been fastest in the morning’s 60-minute practice session.
Their combined best of 1:45.184s was more than half a second faster than the YNA Autosport/McElrea Racing pairing of Fraser Ross and Alvaro Parente aboard the McLaren 650S GT3.
Rain throughout the day made conditions tricky, catching a number of drivers out with Roger Lago and David Russell early casualties in the JBS Australia Lamborghini.
The Trass Family Motorsport Ferrari 458 also fell victim to the conditions while championship leaders Tim Miles and Jaxon Evans face an anxious wait after Miles aquaplaned during Qualifying 2.
The Valvoline Jamec Pem Racing Audi R8 LMS sustained heavy damage to the front end as standing water left Miles a passenger, though the Audi Sport Customer Racing Australia crew remains determined to have the car on the grid for tomorrow’s 500km race.
Miles and Evans combined to record the fifth best time, booking themselves a position in the Top 10 Shootout, which they will now be forced to watch from the sidelines and start tenth as a result.
Mercedes-AMG GT3 drivers Dominic Storey and Peter Hackett recorded the third best time to book their spot for Autex Eggleston Motorsport, while the new pairing of Steve Richards and Dylan O’Keeffe snared fourth for the BMW Team SRM crew.
Ahead of them in the Shootout, which will be broadcast live on TV3 across New Zealand and across the world courtesy of a livestream on the Australian GT website, will be Max Twigg and Tony D’Alberto in the WM Waste Management Mercedes-AMG GT3.
A duo of local entries from International Motorsport set the seventh and eighth best times, Matt Whitaker and John Udy trailing Jonny Reid and Neil Foster.
Timken Zagame Autosport’s Lamborghini Huracan GT3 will be second out in the Top 10 Shootout
second, Cam McConville and Adrian Deitz recording the ninth best time.
The top ten is rounded out by Andrew Macpherson and Brad Shiels in the AMAC Motorsport Porsche 911 GT3-R.
By topping both qualifying sessions, Talbot and Martin pick up 20-points in their championship quest, and will start the shootout last on the road.
The Top 10 Shootout will be broadcast live on TV3 across New Zealand, starting at 14:00 NZDT (12:00 AEDT).
